Pump controller system.



No. 762,620 PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904. A. G. EASTWOOD.

PUMP CONTROLLER SYSTEM;

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13. 1903.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

g 2% (6 i s 1 1 T@ 17 i 2s E F ,a/L 5 5 6 2 EZZ6Z/ 7Z 0 WE 171W"? 7 ififi ew flimooa No. 762,620. PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904. A. C. EASTWOOD.

PUMP CONTROLLER SYSTEM.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 13. 1903.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Tn: woams PETERS cc. wommmo, WASMINGTON, n. c.

No. 762,620. PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

' A. O. EASTWOOD.

PUMP CONTROLLER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13, 1903. N0 MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented June 14, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR C. EASTIVOOD, OF CLEVELAND, OI'IIO.'

PUMP CONTROLLER SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,620, dated June 14, 1904.

Application filed'Pebruaryl3, 1903. Serial No. 143,252. No model.)

[0 soil whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR (J. EASTWOOD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, Ohio, have invented certain Improvements in Pump Controller Systems, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in means for automatically starting and stopping the operation of motor-driven pumps in order to maintain the pressure or the volume of fluid in a reservoir within predetermined limits, said means being equally applicable to hydraulic, air, or vapor pumps as well as compressors.

At the present time it is customary in most instances to control the speed of a drivingmotor by inserting resistance in series with the armature by means of controller mechanism actuated in various ways by the fluid acted on by the pump. With such a system the cycle of operations is such that the motor is started and caused to operate the pump until the maximum pressure permitted is nearly reached, resistance being then cut into the armature-circuit and the speed of the motor gradually reduced thereby until said maxi- 1 mum pressure is attained, at which time the motor-circuit is opened and the motor brought to rest. WVhen the pressure has fallen to a predetermined lower or minimum limit, suitable mechanism again causes the controller to come into operation, so as to close the motorcircuit through the resistance, which is afterward gradually cut out until the motor reaches full speed. It is to be noted that this system involves the starting and stopping of the motor, and it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that if the pump has a capacity but slightly in excess of that required by the system to which it belongs the motor will be almost constantly starting and stopping, irrespective of the size of the accumulator or receiver, as the case may be. Further, it will be seen that the motor is always required to start under the greatest disadvantage-viz., that of full loadsince the plungers of the pump are exposed to what is practically the working pressure of the system. Such action requires a heavy startingcurrent as well as the use of a large and consequently expensive controller, which, on account of the frequent breaking of heavy currents, is exposed to a relatively large amount of wear and tear. In addition to this a very appreciable quantity of energy is necessarily dissipated in the resistance whenever the motor is started or stopped.

By means of my invention the motor is started without load by means of a simple starting-box of ordinary form and is thereafter allowed to run continuously, one object of the invention being to eliminate wear and, tear on the motor and controller otherwise incident to frequent starting and stopping, as well as to avoid the above-mentioned heavy and wasteful starting-currents. Since the current required by the regulating mechanism hereinafter described is in general less than one ampere, it is to be noted that the few contacts at which the secondary circuit is broken have an extremely long life.

A further object of the invention is to start the pump or compressor more quickly than is ordinarily possible with a rheostatic controller.

The invention consists in placing between the motor and the pump or compressor operated thereby a magnetic or other electroresponsive clutch, whereby said motor can be operatively connected to the pump or compressor, such device being actuated by means of a switching device operated either directly or indirectly by the fluid treated or actuated by the pump.

The above objects I secure as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, showing a portion of the preferred form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one form of controlling mechanism to be used in connection with the device shown in Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the form of controlling mechanism which may be employed when my invention is applied to a hydraulic-pressure pump designed to be used in connection with an accumulator.

In the above drawings,A represents an electric motor having a field-magnet ring a, in

which are carried field-windings of well-known form. (Not shown.) The armature is shown at a and in the present instance is supported on a shaft a operating in two bearings a carried on the frame A, and in an outer or independent bearing a", supported in any suitable manner. The main portion of an electric clutch is shown at B and is keyed in the present instance to the armature-shaft (f, being illustrated as consisting of an iron disk having in its face an annular recess in which is wound a coil 6, there being carried on the external periphery of its frame or body two metallic rings 5, suitably insulated from each other and from the clutch by means of fiber or other suitable material and electrically connected to the ends of said coil 7). The lug a projecting from the frame A, serves to support the brush-holder arm 6 upon which are carried brushes 6* and b insulated from each other and included in circuit with the regulating apparatus shown in the other figures.

The disk C is loosely carried by the armature-shaft (0 adjacent to the face of the clutch B, which contains the coil 6, and has keyed to it a pinion or gear wheel D, keyed to a shaft (Z, to which is attached a pump (not shown) in the manner well known to the art.

Referring now to the regulating apparatus, (shown in Fig. 3,)E is ahydraulic accumulator consisting of a cylinder 0, connected to a pump by means of a pipe 6 and having a pipe 0 by which it is connected to any desired apparatus for utilizing fluid under pressure. A vertical plunger 6 operates in the cylinder 0, and in the present instance said plunger carries a weighted structure 0, whereby the required pressure is produced within the cylinder 0. It will be understood that said cylinder forms a reservoir for the storage of water or other fluid under pressure, and in order that its full capacity may be available it is necessary that the plunger with its weight shall be maintained at the upper limit of its travel. This is accomplished by means of a vertically-movable bar F, supported by means of bearingsf and provided with a head f", whereby it is retained within the same under certain conditions. Upon said bar are placed two adjustable arms f 2 and f adjacent to which is placed a switch G, consisting of a contact-arm g, pivotally mounted upon a supporting-base at g and having an extension projecting into the path of said adjustable arms. This contactarm carries at or near one end a bridging-contact g designed to electrically connect two segments 9* and g which are included in an electric circuit extending from the terminals it and it of a main controlling-switch H and including the coil of wire 5 of the clutch B.

In the form of apparatus shown in Fig. 3 it will be understood that the motor is supplied with current continuously independently of the switch H and that when the device is first started the various parts of the regulating ap paratus are in the positions shown in said figurei. e. the plunger 6 is all the way down in its cylinder and the arm f is in engagement with the contact-arm g,this latter forming electrical contact between'the two segments g and g". When therefore the switch H is closed, current passes through the coil of wire on the clutch B, and thereby operatively connects to the motor the pump actuated from the shaft (Z. As a consequencefluid is compressed by said pump and forced into the cylinder 0, thereby forcing upwardly the plunger 0 until as this latter approaches the top of its stroke it engages with the bar f, and as additional fluid is forced into the cylinder it raises this bar until finally the arm f is brought into contact with the end of the contact-arm By the time that the plunger has reached the top of its stroke the bar F has been moved sufficiently to cause the lever g to move far enough to break the contact between the segments g and g, the consequence being that the current is cut off from the coil 6, and the operative connection between the pump and the motor is broken, the motor running idly or without load. As fluid is used from the cylinder e the plunger 6 gradually falls, thereby also permitting the bar F to move downward until its armf strikes the end of the contactarm 9 and turns it on its pivot until the piece 9 electrically connects the segments 9 and g, thereby again energizing the coil 6 of the clutch B, so as to cause it to operatively eonnect the motor with the pump.

If desired, a regulator of the form shown in Fig. 2 may be employed to make'and break the portion of the circuit including the coil e of the clutch B, this being particularly useful when it is desired to control the pressure of air in a reservoir. 1n the case illustrated a tank E is shown as connected to the pump by means of a conduit 6 said tank also having an outlet 6, connected to any desired receiving apparatus. Connected to one of the pipe-fittings shown is a pressure-gage J, having an indicator j electrically connected to one side of the current-supply circuit controlled by the switch H, the face of the gage being provided with aslot in which are mounted two adjustable stops or contact-pieces 1' and 7' The former of these is connected to one end of a solenoid K, and the other to one end of a solenoid K, suitably supported on a base Ir, while the remaining ends of these solenoids are united and connected to the other or negative side of the switch H. The clutch-coil Z) has one end connected to the positive side of the switch H and its other en connected to the common end of the solenoids through a pair of contact-pieces and k and a movable contact-arm if, which latter is carried upon an armature constructed to be actuated by either of the solenoids K or K, so that when attracted by the first of these it is held in position such that the contact between the pieces TIC LIE.

Z7 and k is broken and when acted upon by the second in a position to complete the circuit through said contacts. Thus it will be seen that when the pressure in the tank or reservoir E falls suflEiciently to permit the indicator to electrically contact with the piece 1" current willfiow from the switch H through said indicator and after energizing the solenoid K return to the negative side of said switch. Said solenoid will under these conditions attract the armature F, and thereby move the piece into a position such that it will complete the circuit between the contacts 70 and if, thereby energizing the clutch g and operatively coupling the constantly-running motor with the pump. As the pressure rises in the tank E the indicator breaks the circuit through the solenoid K; but since there is no force tending to change the position of the armature k the arm will still continue to permit current to flow through the clutch-coil 7). When, however, the pressure in the reservoir E has risen sufficiently to bring the indicator 1' into engagement with the contact f, the solenoid K is energizechthus causing the armature 712* to move longitudinally, and thereby break the connection between the contacts In and F. This results in the cutting off of the current from the clutch-coil b and, as in the case previously described, permits the motor to run free independently of the pump. As in the case when the pressure in the reservoir was rising, so as it falls the flow of current through the solenoid K is broken, and the bar continues to remain out of contact with the two pieces k and k until the solenoid K is again energized. By moving the contact-pieces f and] in the slot of the pressure-gage the pressure within the reservoir B may be automatically maintained within any desired limits. In startingthe motort'rom rest the switch H will first be opened, so that the pump is not connected to said motor until this latter has been brought up to speed without load.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a motor, and a pump with connecting mechanism including an electrically-operated clutch, a main switch in the same electrical circuit as said clutch, a secondary switch, actuating means for said secondary switch constructed to be operated by variations in the condition of the fluid treated by the pump, and electrical mechanism in circuit with said secondary switch for operating the main switch to cause the clutch to connect or disconnect the pump and the motor, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a pump, a motor, and mechanism connecting said two elements including an electric clutch, a main switch in circuit with said clutch, a solenoid for controlling the action of said main switch and a secondary electric switch in circuit with said solenoid, with means for operating said secondary switch, said means being actuated by the fluid operated upon by the pump, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a motor and a pump, said motor being free to operate independently of said pump and having an electric clutch whereby it may be operatively connected to the same, a main switch in circuit with said electric clutch, a plurality of solenoids having an armature for actuating said switch and a two-pole secondary switch having means whereby it permits current to flow to one of the solenoids to open said main switch under certain conditions of the fluid operated on by the pump, and means whereby it permits current to flow to the other solenoid to open said main switch under certain other conditions of said fluid, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sul scribing witnesses.

ARTHUR C. EASTl/VOOD.

WVitn esses:

C. \V. CoMs'rocK, J. E. VELLMAN. 

